Guillermo del Toro announces 'Pacific Rim 2'

Pacific Rim wasn’t necessarily the box-office leviathan that Legendary and Universal had hoped, but it grossed a healthy $411 million around the globe. In particular, it made $111.9 million in China alone—more than it made in the U.S.—so it was no shock when the two movie companies announced that Pacific Rim 2 is officially in the works and will arrive in theaters on April 7, 2017.

In a YouTube video, director Guillermo del Toro said that “we’re going to develop a new animated series for Pacific Rim, continue the comic-book series that we started with Year Zero, and most importantly, create a sequel for the film. I’m working on this with Zak Penn and Travis Beacham, and we are very happy to be bringing you more Kaijus, more Jaegers, kicking each other’s butt.”

Beacham co-wrote the first Pacific Rim, and Penn scripted X-Men: The Last Stand and The Incredible Hulk.

Del Toro told Buzzfeed, “The characters I love will return. Raleigh, Mako, Newt, Gottlieb, and who knows, maybe even Hannibal Chau—but we are taking them into a fresh territory that will display amazing sights and battles. The first film set the stage and now we’re ready to have a blast.”